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Waterbury PD Reignites Probe Into Smolinski Case

Fri, 03/30/2012 - 07:58

Billy Smolinski Jr. vanished from Waterbury August 24th, 2004.

Story By John Murray

Seven and a half years after Billy Smolinski Jr. disappeared from Waterbury, Connecticut, the local police department is taking another look at the case. The new development was triggered when Billy's parents, Bill and Jan Smolinski, met with Waterbury Police Chief, Michael Gugliotti, on March 22nd.

"The Smolinskis asked me a lot of questions that I had no answer for," Gugliotti said. "I wasn't involved with the investigation seven years ago, but it was a complete disaster. We need to find answers to their questions."

Chief Gugliotti has assigned two detectives from the cold case unit to start the investigation over. "I want fresh eyes on the case," Gugliotti said. "There are a lot of obstacles to overcome, but the new investigators will have no preconceived ideas. Some of the people in the case are dead, and others are lawyered up, but our #1 objective now is to gather all the data from the investigation and compile it in chronological order. It's a puzzle we have to put together."

The investigation has involved three local police departments, the Connecticut State Police, and the FBI. One of the first questions the Smolinskis asked Chief Gugliotti was, "who was handling the new tips coming in?"

Bizarrely, for the past year, there has been no law enforcement agency willing to state clearly that they are the lead investigators in what is now a search for the body of Billy Smolinski. Credible evidence has been gathered that points to Smolinski being murdered on the night of August 24th, 2004, and his body buried in a grave in the lower Naugatuck Valley. But when five law enforcement agencies each declined to take the "lead" in the investigation, the Smolinskis set up a tip line that goes directly to them, and they have been using a private investigator, and private search and rescue dogs to conduct their own searches.

Vigilantes? Hardly. Their son has been missing for nearly eight years, and if law enforcement is reluctant to press forward with an investigation, they were determined to.

"We are pleased that Chief Gugliotti took our questions seriously," Janice Smolinski said. "We welcome any effort from law enforcement to help bring Billy home."

Waterbury Police Chief Michael Gugliotti. Photo by John Murray

The Smolinskis are willing to move past the bitterness they have directed at the Waterbury police if Chief Gugliotti follows through with his statements. But there is a lot of bitterness to overcome.

"The investigation was exclusively in the hands of the Waterbury police for two years," Janice Smolinski said. "We had a lot of trouble convincing them anything was wrong when Billy went missing. He was a strong, 31-year-old man, and we were told he would come home when he was ready."

Eighteen months after Billy vanished from his life, the then deputy chief of the Waterbury Police Department, Jimmy Egan, told the Waterbury Observer that, "Billy was probably having a beer somewhere in Europe."

That statement was made with the full knowledge that Billy Smolinski didn't have a passport, his keys and wallet were found tucked underneath the seat of his truck, and no money had been withdrawn from his bank account since he vanished.

Frustrated with the Waterbury Police Department, Janice Smolinski began a relentless effort to get the FBI to look into Billy's disappearance. The Smolinskis wanted investigators to dig deeper into a love triangle that involved Billy, his ex-girlfriend, Madeline Gleason, and a married politician in Woodbridge, Chris Sorensen.

In August 0f 2006 the FBI took over the investigation, and while still working with the Waterbury PD, the federal investigators reached out and included the Shelton and Seymour police departments. In May of 2007 several locations in Shelton were probed by investigators as possible burial sites, and the Connecticut State Police brought in cadaver dogs to sniff around.

Nothing.

A year lapsed, and then a tip from a convicted felon, Chad Hansen, led to a massive excavation of a farm meadow on Bungay Road in Seymour. Hansen later admitted he had fabricated the story, and is now serving two-years in prison for the false statements.

While investigators tried to figure out what happened to Billy Smolinski, his parents sought local, state and federal reform in the way law enforcement officers responded to the report of a missing adult. Waterbury changed their procedure to treat each report of a missing adult as a homicide, until proven otherwise. Connecticut has altered the way police officers are trained to handle adult missing person cases, and federal legislation, Billy's Law, is now being considered in the United States Senate.

"We have made great process in changing the way police handle cases of missing adults," Janice Smolinski said, "but we still haven't brought Billy home."

Jan and Bill Smolinski have become national spokesmen for missing adults.

As the case drew national and international attention, Discovery ID produced an hour long show dedicated exclusively to the disappearance of Billy Smolinski. The show has aired dozens of times around the world, and individuals in Bulgaria, Scotland, Australia and Canada are closely following the case.

As the Smolinskis used police gaffes to push reform, the police began to back off. The case had triggered federal legislation and was now a political hot potato. After three years on the case the FBI unceremoniously backed out of the investigation. Waterbury PD went quiet. Shelton PD stopped following up on leads. It seemed nobody wanted to get caught with the hot potato in their hands.

Janice Smolinski pleaded with the Connecticut State Police to get involved and she successfully lobbied the Chief State's Attorney's Office. The Western District Major Crime Squad conducted interviews, searched quarries, and have performed their own digs for the body of Billy Smolinski, but the state police will only say they are "assisting". The question of who they are assisting remains unanswered. The investigation is a complicated multi-jurisdictional probe, and no law enforcement agency is publically stating they are the lead.

While reluctant to say he's re-opened the case, Police Chief Gugliotti told the Observer, "I talked to Lenny Boyle (from the Chief State's Attorney's Office) and he gave us his blessing to get involved again. We are willing to hold the hot potato. We are going to gather data from every agency and place all the pieces of the puzzle on the table. There is no other option. I want to find some answers."

The Smolinskis are cautious, and encouraged.

"At this point we don't care where the answer comes from," Janice Smolinski said. "It could come from the police, a private investigator, or a compassionate member of the public. There are people in the Naugatuck Valley who know what happened to our son, and they know where Billy is buried. We are not going to give up until we bring him home. We will find our answer."

My daughter and I were watching this in I. D. We will pray that your family gets closer into solving this case!!! I'm sorry for the tragedy no one deserves this. I have two kids of my own . One 14 and 7 and I stress to them daily of the evil that lurks out there and that there is no one In this world to trust other than myself and close family. I live in California but my heart will be with-you guys!

just watched discoveries disapeared episode. first i've heard of the case. Just wondering about the neighbor who claimed he left town for a couple days. Is there any link between him and love triangle suspects?
it seems suspicious.

Kudos to Chief Gugliotti for taking this on. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Maybe things will finally get organized and eventually solved. Kudos to the Smolinskis for demanding justice.
Even though I'm not from your area, I just watched this 2008 episode on Netflix instant--so your information is still out there to the public. My prayers go with the family and friends.

I just finished watching the Discovery ID special on my television. While I am no expert, no person of law and am only going with the information provided, the most curious part of this whole documentary and seeming case, is that not once does anyone question the married politician. Someone with obvious financial means and the ability to carry out relationships with women other than his spouse. The behavior of Madeleine just adds to my curiosity. Her son accused of killing Billy in a tip line..to have that information discovered 6 months after her son overdosed...Seems like when he got his lump sum for "taking care of business" all he knew to spend it on was heroin to keep his secret as buried in his brain as he could.
Nonetheless, I pray for your family to find closure. I pray that you continue with the strength you've had from day one to seek the answers you need. I applaud your efforts to helping the general public not face what you have faced, losing key pieces to help you because time was wasted by the PD initially. I hope that in all the while if it is just remains you seek to send to Heaven, that you know he will be waiting for you there when it is your time to journey up. That he's been with you all in spirit either way. God bless and take care.
Dani H of Wilmington, DE.

i believe the morning billy called and threatened the "politician", madaliene gleason's son was paid very nicely by chris sorenson to get rid of the man who told him to "watch his back" and he overdosed when he spent all that money on heroin and the secret of where he buried him died with him. I do believe he killed him with someone else, it takes two to dig deep and madeleine nows alot, a real lot she needs to be grilled and then i think the truth will come out.

I recently watched Billy's story on the "Disappeared" series. He seemed a happy, honest, wear your heart on your sleeve kind of guy with a very, very strong circle of family and friends. The investigation into his disappearance was sloppy and under-investigated.
IMO, the answer lies within a statement in this article: "The male rival lives on the outskirts of greater Waterbury and is a prominent married businessman. The individual is also an elected public official with power and influence."
If law enforcement is truly going to help bring Billy home, I believe they only need to "connect the dots". JMO
Best of luck to the Smolinski Family and Friends! God Bless You.

Make that hag Madeline Gleason start talking!!! If she has the audacity for tearing down Billy's missing person flyers, she should be thrown in jail for withholding information to a homicide case. And if she speaks so passionately of being innocent, then get hooked up to a polygraph test and say that!! It makes my blood boil how horrible these poor people have been treated and all they want is to find their son and bring him home. The police need too stop dragging their feet and do what our tax dollars pay them for!! Its been too long for a case that should of been solved years ago. My heart goes out too the smolinskys and I have a strong conviction they will bring their son home to rest soon. If any search parties materialize in the future you can bet I'll be there. We need to come together for this family and let them know their not alone!! Keep hope and faith in your hearts, krissy from meriden

Get a very experienced retired NYPD detective to sit her down and grill her till she queals like a fat pig.Or get a military interrogator to press her down to the dephts of pure HELL. As far as i'm concerned this case will never be closed untill the family of Billy Smolinski has thier own final closure. I don't care if it takes 50 yrs.In the end ( Ye Shall know the truth by thier fruits)

Good on you Janice & Bill Smolinski for never giving up on your 31yo son!!!! Someone has to answer for their involvement in Billys "disappearance!!!" Shame on LE & FBI for PASSING THE BUCK ... cannot believe it!!!! ;((